Navigating Seasonal Surges. Car Haulers in the U.S. OEM Vehicle Supply Chain
In the U.S. automotive supply chain, car hauling companies serve as the critical final link between manufacturers (OEMs) and dealerships.
In the U.S. automotive supply chain, car hauling companies serve as the critical final link between manufacturers (OEMs) and dealerships. After new cars roll off the assembly line, they rely on a network of railcars and auto transport trucks to reach roughly 16,000 dealerships nationwide. Virtually every new vehicle spends the last leg of its journey on a car-carrier trailer en route to a showroom. This finished vehicle logistics process must run like clockwork, but it’s heavily influenced by seasonal demand swings. Yearly sales cycles – from summer buying sprees to year-end pushes and new model rollouts – create peaks and valleys in vehicle transportation needs. Below, we explore how these seasonal fluctuations affect car haulers, and why asset-based carriers like GB Cargo are indispensable for on-time deliveries and flexible capacity during high-demand periods.
The end of the calendar year is a high-stakes period for OEMs and dealers. Automakers often push to hit annual sales targets, and dealerships strive to clear inventory and meet year-end sales goals. The result is a flurry of vehicle shipments in late Q4. In fact, new-vehicle sales typically surge in December – for example, sales jumped 6.5% in Dec 2024 compared to November, drawing down U.S. new car inventory by over 8% in one month. This spike means car haulers face intense demand to deliver last-minute inventory for holiday promotions (“Toyotathon”, year-end clearance events, etc.) and to redistribute unsold models to regions where they can still sell.
Such a year-end rush compresses a lot of deliveries into a short window. Logistics teams must coordinate extra truck capacity to ensure dealerships receive popular models in time for holiday buyers. There are also practical challenges: winter weather and holidays can tighten carrier availability. Snowstorms or icy roads frequently delay truck routes, and many drivers take time off around Christmas and New Year’s. Experienced car hauling companies mitigate these issues by planning ahead – scheduling shipments before peak holiday weeks and using enclosed carriers or alternate routes when severe weather threatens. The best carriers closely communicate with dealers on delivery ETAs, knowing that an on-time arrival can make the difference in closing a year-end deal. As Cox Automotive notes, December often sees an uptick in luxury vehicle sales, so premium models must be in the showroom as promised. Asset-based haulers often run extra shifts and leverage their fleets’ full capacity in December to fulfill the spike in transport orders, helping OEMs “finish the quarter strong” by getting cars on lots when it counts.
Summer is traditionally prime time for auto sales and transport. From late spring through August, consumer demand for cars rises due to school being out, favorable travel weather, and major sales events (Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day). Dealerships stock up for summer promotional campaigns and for customers flush with tax refunds or planning road trips. According to industry insights, the car hauling sector sees a 10–15% spike in transport requests from June to August in a typical year. This is driven not only by retail sales but also by Americans relocating in summer (and shipping their vehicles) and dealers transferring inventory in anticipation of back-to-school season sales. For instance, Memorial Day weekend often provides a notable bump – the market “returns to seasonal norms” with a sales lift around late May, prompting many OEM deliveries to align with that surge.
During these mid-year peaks, car hauling companies must navigate capacity and timing challenges. The good news is that summer weather is generally conducive to transport – no snow or ice to contend with – but it’s also vacation season for drivers (e.g. Independence Day downtime) which can temporarily tighten capacity. High demand pushes transport pricing up slightly in summer, and scheduling can be tight if shippers wait until the last minute. Savvy dealers and fleet managers mitigate this by booking carriers well in advance of summer and even opportunistically moving cars in late spring before peak rates hit. Car haul companies also prepare by positioning equipment where demand will surge – for example, staging extra trucks near automotive assembly plants or railheads that release a lot of inventory in June/July. Asset-based carriers have an advantage here: since they own their rigs, they can allocate additional trucks or drivers on short notice to handle the June–August volume bulge, maintaining delivery timelines even as requests peak. In 2025, with U.S. new-vehicle sales projected at a robust 16.3 million (highest since 2019), carriers are expecting an especially busy summer haul season.
Another critical seasonal event is the launch of new model-year vehicles, typically in late summer and fall. Automakers often begin shipping next year’s models to dealerships as early as August, with volume ramping up through September and October. This can create a surge of deliveries in a short period as OEMs refresh showroom inventory nationwide. For example, as the 2025 model year vehicles rolled out in Q3 2024, U.S. dealer inventories swelled – by early September, roughly 25% of new cars on lots were model-year 2025 units, reflecting the influx of shipments from factories. Even in mid-year, Cox Automotive noted that next-model-year vehicles historically make up ~7% of inventory by late May, marking the beginning of model changeover logistics.
Coordinating these launches is a complex dance for car haulers. Manufacturers often retool plants in July, then push out new models in volume once production resumes, meaning August/September can bring a concentrated wave of outbound shipments. Carriers must ensure new models are delivered promptly and in sync with marketing rollouts, so dealers have them on the showroom floor for launch events. At the same time, they may be backhauling or redistributing leftover prior model-year stock to avoid lot overflow (or moving old models to markets where they’ll still sell). This simultaneous push-pull can strain transport capacity in early fall. Experienced vehicle logistics providers mitigate bottlenecks by closely integrating with OEM logistics teams – often embedding staff at factory distribution centers and using advanced TMS (Transportation Management Systems) to sequence loads efficiently. Some OEMs diversify their distribution channels for flexibility; for instance, Subaru splits its outbound vehicles almost evenly between rail and truck and uses multiple regional hubs to smooth out deliveries. Additionally, if rail transport is delayed (a common issue during production surges), car haulers act as a safety valve by taking on longer inter-regional hauls. The fall new-model season truly highlights the importance of well-coordinated trucking capacity – any hiccup in deliveries can leave dealerships without the latest models during the critical early sales window.
Not all car transport companies are the same. Asset-based car carriers – those that own their fleet of trucks and employ drivers directly – offer distinct advantages in meeting seasonal spikes. Companies like GB Cargo pride themselves on having dedicated equipment and manpower ready to deploy when demand jumps. This direct ownership gives greater control and flexibility over operations compared to brokers or non-asset-based logistics firms. For example, an asset-based carrier can dynamically reroute or reassign their trucks and drivers to respond to an OEM’s last-minute volume surge, ensuring vehicles still hit their delivery targets despite schedule changes. By contrast, a brokerage might struggle to find third-party truckers on short notice during a capacity crunch.
Prioritization and reliability are also key benefits. Asset-based providers can prioritize key customers (like OEM contracts or large dealer groups) in peak season, because they manage their own capacity. If a dealership needs an expedited delivery to make a sales event, an asset-based partner can often accommodate it by adjusting its fleet’s schedule – a level of agility that would be impossible through a fragmented broker network. Moreover, owning the equipment means these carriers maintain rigorous standards for safety and quality. Their trucks are often newer and purpose-built for car hauling, and their drivers are trained specifically in vehicle handling and securement. This reduces the risk of damage or delays, even when hauling at maximum volume. As one industry analysis notes, owning trucks and employing drivers gives carriers tighter control over capacity and handling quality, resulting in fewer surprises and a dependable flow of new cars. Essentially, asset-based haulers act as strategic partners to OEMs – they scale up alongside production, invest in extra car-carrier trailers ahead of new model launches, and even station support teams on-site to coordinate high-volume rollouts. This stability and commitment are invaluable during seasonal peaks when timing is critical. It’s no surprise many automakers and large dealership chains choose asset-based firms like GB Cargo for peak-period support, knowing they have the trucks, drivers, and expertise on hand to deliver under pressure.
During peak seasons – be it summer or year-end – vehicle logistics teams face several operational challenges. Below we outline key hurdles and how experienced car hauling companies address them:
For logistics professionals managing OEM vehicle shipments, the following strategies have proven effective in partnership with experienced car hauling providers:
Seasonal fluctuations in the automotive supply chain are inevitable – summer sales, new model launches, and year-end pushes will always create ebbs and flows in vehicle transport demand. For logistics professionals, the key takeaway is that these peaks can be successfully managed with foresight and the right logistics partners. Car hauling companies play a pivotal role in ensuring that dealers have the cars they need, exactly when customers want them, whether it’s a fleet of SUVs arriving before a big summer sales weekend or the latest models hitting showrooms on launch day. By working closely with experienced, asset-based car carriers like GB Cargo, OEMs and dealerships gain the flexibility to handle volume surges without compromising on delivery timelines or service quality. These carriers bring not only trucks and drivers, but also strategic planning, technology, and a problem-solving mindset to keep the supply chain moving when demand is highest.
In the fast-paced world of auto logistics, preparation and partnership are everything. Seasonal surges test the limits of capacity and coordination, but they also spotlight the value of dependable car hauling partners. With robust strategies – from scaling capacity and diversifying transport modes to tight dealer coordination and real-time tracking – the best car transport companies ensure that even at peak season, vehicles flow smoothly from factory to showroom. That means sales goals met, customers satisfied, and a resilient supply chain that can shift into high gear whenever the market calls for it. In summary, car hauling companies are the unsung heroes of the OEM supply chain during peak seasons, delivering the goods (literally) when it matters most.
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